I Do Have Something to Do—There's Someone I Need to Slaughter

The howling wind ravaged his ears. The nauseating stench of blood, mixed with the sour reek of sweat, flooded his nostrils.

Chu Wen's vision had been blurred for a long while before it finally cleared in a single instant.

A rough face filled his entire field of vision, caked in dust like a loach—and tilted sideways at that.

"Brother Wen, you're finally awake."

"That bastard Zhang Yong actually tossed you aside."

"Brother Wen, why are you only blinking and not talking? It's me—I'm your sworn little brother, Chen Dai."

Chu Wen felt as though his head were splitting apart as a flood of memories poured into his mind.

This was a chaotic age where demon beasts and humans fought for supremacy.

At this very moment, the demon beast kingdom was launching its third major offensive against the Blue Star Alliance.

As a second-year student at Jiangnan Martial University, he had joined the hastily assembled Cloudflight Squad.

Their mission was to cover the evacuation of Jiangnan Base City's residents and, under the instructions of the Chaos Martial Arts Hall, assist the military from the flank in holding back the demon beasts' advance.

After holding the line for two days, they had been preparing to retreat according to the original plan, only for the vice-captain, Zhang Yong, to stab him in the back at the final moment!

"Once you're dead, I'll take all the credit for this, heh heh."

Yes, his name was also Chu Wen, except he had transmigrated here from another Blue Star.

After familiarizing himself with the situation, he glanced at the shattered optical computer and asked Chen Dai, "Dummy, what time is it now?"

Seeing that Chu Wen's brain had not been crushed underfoot, Chen Dai let out a long breath of relief. He checked the time on his optical computer. "April 25th, 16:12."

"It's been two days since Jiangnan Base City was completely abandoned, and I saved you three hours ago."

Three hours ago!

Chu Wen touched the mangled flesh on his back, and a heart-piercing pain shot through him.

But immediately afterward, a cool sensation spread over the hideous wound.

Only then did he discover that an extra blood-colored pearl had appeared within his consciousness.

At the same time, the shattered optical computer underwent a mutation under the pearl's nourishment.

A panel visible only to him appeared before his eyes.

Name: Chu Wen

Realm: High-rank Martial Artist

Treasure: [Hunyuan Pearl: Blood Qi]

[Current absorbed Blood Qi: 1/10]

[Potential Points: 1]

[10 Blood Qi can be converted into 1 Potential Point.]

[Once Blood Qi reaches capacity, release it to enter the 'Blood Demon State,' increasing combat power by 100% for two minutes.]

[Burning Blade Technique Minor Mastery (1%)]

[Shadow Follows Form Beginner (12%)]

The original owner had only possessed Martial Artist cultivation, with one movement martial art at beginner level and one offensive martial art at minor mastery. He had counted as an elite among students.

Led by the Dragon Nation, the Blue Star Alliance had established the martial artist ranking system.

Every tier was divided into beginner, intermediate, and high rank.

The lowest tier was Martial Artist, followed by Warrior, Battle General, Battle King, and Battle God!

"What's the situation now?"

Chu Wen looked at the dense Blood Qi in the distance and saw that the Hunyuan Pearl was still slowly absorbing it.

The joy in Chen Dai's eyes faded as he told him the truth.

"We're getting farther and farther from the main force. I'm not strong enough—I'm afraid we won't be able to break out."

Chen Dai cautiously glanced at Brother Wen's wounds, his words carrying an implication.

"Brother Wen, I'm afraid this time we're doomed."

Yet Chen Dai had no regrets. The moment he heard Zhang Yong say that Chu Wen had fallen behind, he had immediately left the squad. He had to save Brother Wen.

Chu Wen did not reply. He merely endured the tearing pain coursing through his body and continued observing the Hunyuan Pearl.

[Current absorbed Blood Qi: 1.3/10]

"Is this the sliver of hope to defy fate...?"

Chu Wen knew that the two of them had to leave this place quickly. Otherwise, once the Demon Race completely occupied the area, their strength would leave them with no chance of survival!

Now, they could only carve out a bloody path.

This Hunyuan Pearl was what he could rely on!

"Move! Return along the route planned for the main force."

Chen Dai pursed his lips and looked into the distance as though ready to face death. He hoisted Chu Wen onto his back and sped along the ruined highway toward the wilderness in the north.

Along the way, Chu Wen continuously controlled the [Hunyuan Pearl] in his mind, absorbing the surrounding Blood Qi.

He discovered that the Hunyuan Pearl could only absorb the Blood Qi of demon beasts. It could not absorb the Blood Qi from the corpses of human martial artists.

The fresher the corpse, the more Blood Qi it provided.

In a short time, the Blood Qi on the panel had reached [10/10].

Convert!

[Potential Points: 4]

Perhaps because he had absorbed too much Blood Qi, his gaze gradually turned cold. The original owner's unwillingness and anguish before death lingered in Chu Wen's heart. He had never expected Zhang Yong to betray him.

An hour passed. Even as a high-rank Martial Artist, Chen Dai's stamina was visibly beginning to fail.

"Roar—!"

Behind them, the roars of demon beasts shook the heavens. This time, the human camp had been defeated.

Humanity had lost Jiangnan Base City. The corpses of human martial artists and demon beasts that had perished together along the way made Chu Wen truly feel the life-and-death struggle between races.

"Brother Wen, there are two beast-soldier-class ones ahead."

Beast soldiers were equivalent to Martial Artists!

One or two were not a problem, but if the fight caused too much commotion, it could draw a large number of demon beasts into surrounding and exterminating them!

"One each."

Chu Wen drew a combat blade from his combat boot. He had picked it up on the road just now, and it was far better than the one the original owner had used.

Chen Dai held his blade and bent forward, poised to strike.

"Charge!"

At the command, two figures rushed out at once.

The two beast soldiers also caught the scent of humans. They twisted around, turned back, and pounced fiercely.

Chen Dai had not expected Chu Wen to still have the strength to attack. He thought that he had to end this battle quickly and immediately go support Chu Wen.

Chu Wen became entangled with a leopard demon. Every time he dodged, the wound on his back sent heart-piercing pain through him. He was also adjusting his mindset, adapting to the ever-changing battlefield as quickly as possible.

"Potential Points? Then let me see how much of a chance I have."

"Max it out!"

[You practiced the Burning Blade Technique from childhood and successfully entered enlightenment once, reaching major mastery.]

[After enlightenment, you practiced day after day for decades, yet remained unable to break through the bottleneck.]

[You continued cultivating, still unable to touch the final layer, but you never stopped practicing your blade swings.]

[You did not give up. At last, during one session of silent meditation, you grasped a flash of inspiration, melding blade into hand and attaining the meaning of perfection.]

[Burning Blade Technique Perfection (1%)]

[Potential Points: 0]

Chu Wen suddenly felt as though he had swung a blade countless times. Even the combat blade that had initially felt somewhat unfamiliar seemed to become an extension of his arm.

Every movement flowed as naturally as clouds and water!

With his hand burning into a blade, he slid beneath the leopard demon's head and cleaved sideways!

The leopard demon, which had been charging so fiercely, was instantly disemboweled.

It probably never understood what had happened, even in death.

[Blood Qi: 7/10]

"Fresh ones really hit the spot."

Roar!

In the distance, Chen Dai's cries grew increasingly ragged.

"Brother Wen, hold on a little longer! I'll come help you right away."

Chen Dai had carried Chu Wen at full speed for an hour, and his stamina had yet to recover. The beast soldier he faced was formidable, and he could not take it down for the moment.

The instant he faltered, claws capable of shattering combat armor came crashing down. He could not react in time. He had already smelled the threat of death, his eyes widening.

Suddenly—

A streak of silver light flashed past.

At some unknown moment, a line of blood had appeared in the air. Blood droplets formed a thread, drifting through the wind and sand as they brushed past Chen Dai's rough face.

Shattered organs flew with spurting blood. The leopard demon struggled on the ground for a moment before falling silent.

Chen Dai froze.

He abruptly looked toward the direction where Chu Wen had been fighting, only to see a leopard demon lying dead on the ground, dead beyond all doubt.

"Brother... Brother Wen?"

Chen Dai stood there stupidly, his combat blade hanging from his hand. His mind had crashed, and for some reason his face felt burning hot. He did not know what to do with his hands or feet.

Night gradually deepened. He watched Chu Wen's thin figure limp northward.

In the distance, the neon lights of the human camp flickered in and out of sight.

Amid the wind and sand, young martial artists had left their homeland one by one, never to turn back again.

Chen Dai jogged forward to catch up with Chu Wen, his face still burning.

He glanced at the hideous wound on Chu Wen's back and asked worriedly, "Brother Wen, the wound has split open again... Are you all right?"

Chu Wen waved a hand and stared coldly toward Xinhang Base City.

"I do have something to do. There's someone I need to slaughter."